• The headline of the Polish presentation is: „Poland. Creativity inspired by nature.”
• The Polish Pavilion is almost ready, and we are currently recruiting 150 students to staff it.
• Entrepreneurs can take advantage of more than a dozen initiatives making up the special economic programme.
• The Polish Day during the Expo 2020 Dubai will take place on 7 December 2021, preceded by the Polish-Arabic Economic Forum, slated for 6 December 2021.

After the period of economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is high time for pro-business and pro-innovation activities aimed at strengthening the recognition of Polish products and services and building a positive image of Poland and the Polish economy in the world. The 2020 Expo in Dubai will be the first such large global promotional event in more than a year, during which we will showcase the potential of Polish businesses and entrepreneurs. Our participation in the Expo will also serve as an excellent opportunity to establish and develop bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation with international partners. We will also use it to promote our potential as a tourist destination, as well as the diversity of our traditions and culture,

said Jarosław Gowin, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development, Labour and Technology.

Even today, we can already provide examples of Polish companies that are doing very well in the UAE’s market. We want these events and promotional campaigns prepared for entrepreneurs in connection with our participation in the 2020 Expo in Dubai to contribute to the development of existing cooperation and to build new relationships with business partners in the UAE and the entire Persian Gulf. Thus, we want to unveil the Polish Investment Zone and a broad range of investment offers concerning numerous areas of Polish economy, including renewable energy sources and green technologies, agricultural and food industry, hydrocarbon exploration and production, development of transport and water infrastructure, furniture and interior design industry, as well as the tourism sector,

said Grzegorz Piechowiak, Vice-Minister of Economic Development, Labour and Technology.

In Dubai, we are going to showcase Poland as a country, whose key resource are people - creative, hospitable, hard-working, educated, full of energy, ready to face new challenges and set trends. We are going to boast creativity as a Polish trait – a value that is a source of success at every level –  economic, scientific, cultural and social.  The key place, where Poland will be promoted, is the Polish Pavilion with an area of over 2000 m2, the construction of which will be completed in the summer. The Pavilion staff will be recruited from among the students of five Polish universities who applied for the internship programme carried out in connection with Poland's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.

We are getting closer and closer to the finish line. We are facing an ambitious task, since the programme that we want to present in Dubai stands out with its comprehensive approach to building the country's international brand. Great Polish design, innovative achievements of Polish business, cultural offering – both traditional and contemporary – as well as special initiatives for children and Polish flavours in the Pavilion's restaurant - all this will make the Polish Pavilion unique, and I will be glad to meet you there. It is also worth noting that Expo is not only a festival of stories about individual countries, but first and foremost a platform for cooperation and creating the future. Thus, we want to take an active part in international initiatives, in particular the economic ones, which the organiser of Expo 2020 Dubai encourages us to do,

claimed Adrian Malinowski, Commissioner General of the Polish Section of the Expo 2020 Dubai.

Expo 2020 in Dubai – supporting Polish entrepreneurs

Expo 2020 Dubai is an important element of promoting Poland's economy in the world, hence the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, in cooperation with its Partners, has created an economic programme consisting of 13 initiatives, the aim of which is to support entrepreneurs in expanding into the Gulf region as well as Africa. The programme will showcase the potential of these markets to Polish companies, highlight opportunities, as well as risks and ways to mitigate them. The offering, which may stimulate some companies to launch export operations, is addressed both to small and medium enterprises, as well as large corporations.

Taking part in Expo 2020 Dubai stems out of our economic aspirations. This is a unique opportunity to showcase our country's potential in the Middle East, which is a global hub for trade. Moreover, we want Polish entrepreneurs to take advantage not only of the internal demand of the Gulf markets, but also of the entire African continent. We are already seeing a lot of interest from companies in the offer we have prepared, and most initiatives are still open for registration, which is something that I keep promoting. In particular, I would like to invite everybody for the Polish-Arab Economic Forum, which will take place on 6 December 2021 in Dubai. Importantly, once the Expo is over, our offices in the region will be able to pick up where we will have left off after such a spectacular launch. This is incredibly important from Poland's perspective in order to reap all the benefits afforded by this event,

says Krzysztof Drynda, President of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

A dedicated economic programme has been going on since early 2021. The first summaries show an increased interest of entrepreneurs in activities supporting export to Arab markets:

• More than 400 companies decided to apply to this year's edition of the Go to brand programme, coordinated by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development. The results will be announced in June.
• To date, more than 80 companies have been positively verified in the partnership programme run by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
• More than 100 companies have already applied for participation in the Polish-Arab Economic Forum. The event is expected to attract as many as 500 participants from Poland and countries of the Middle East.
• As part of the multimedia exhibition in the Polish Pavilion, Poland will showcase more than 150 companies representing industries with the greatest export potential to the Middle Eastern markets.

Companies interested in joining the economic programme are invited in particular to:

• Applying for participation in the Polish-Arab Economic Forum (via form, which is available at www.expo.gov.pl) – which will be part of the Polish Day at Expo 2020 Dubai – with attendance in person.
• Participate in an affiliate programme, which includes four partnership categories, which are open for companies to join.
• Participate in a series of educational webinars on the Gulf market (starting in the second half of May).
• Reserve space for business meetings in the Polish Pavilion. Polish entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to organise business meetings in the Polish Pavilion – a VIP lounge and a conference room for up to 70 people. Launch in Q3 2021.

What stories about Poland are we going to tell in Dubai?

We are going to showcase Poland in the Polish Pavilion, designed by the Warsaw-based WXCA studio. The pavilion's architecture clearly refers to mobility – it is an open, expanding modular structure that invites visitors to relax in the shade of the expansive canopy and to contemplate the installation - a kinetic sculpture of a flying flock of birds - floating above their heads.

The internal exhibition will try and convey a universal message about Poland - a collection of stories distinguishing Poland and Poles - our economy, culture and outstanding figures. The full story of Poland consists of five chapters, corresponding to the five zones of the Polish Pavilion, which form a series of interconnected experiences and tales, with each of them focusing on the theme of mobility, proposed by the organiser of the exhibition - concerning people, ideas, culture and technology.

The most spectacular element of the exhibition will be the Polish Table installation, which will become a place for intercultural meetings, where the guests of the Pavilion will be welcomed, and thanks to an interactive light projection, it will also be the place where visitors will be able to get in touch with the Polish language. The Polish Table installation will be a unique artistic object made of materials characteristic of our country – copper, glass, wood, ceramics and carbon fibre, and a joint project carried out by Polish craftsmen, artists and engineers.

The Polish exhibition has been adjusted to be in line with current restrictions, meaning that it will be nearly entirely non-contact.

The creative concept of the Polish Pavilion and the tour narrative, as well as key experiences, content and multimedia materials are designed by a consortium comprising Science Now, Stellar Fireworks and Tellart.